These MUSH copycat vanilla overnight oats are super easy to make with just 5 ingredients. It’s the perfect healthy breakfast recipe to meal prep for the week.
If you know me, you know I LOVE my overnight oats, so when I learned about MUSH a few years ago I was excited to try them! My favorite flavor is definitely their vanilla bean overnight oats, so I figured I would try and recreate it at home.
Given how simple the ingredient list is (you only need 5 ingredients plus water) I figured it would be quite easy to replicate at home, but it actually took quite a few tests to get the perfect consistency and flavor. That said, I think I perfected the recipe, which I’m excited to be sharing with you today!
PS: If you’re new to overnight oats, be sure to check out my easy overnight oats post with everything you need to know on overnight oats.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – Prep in minutes the night before and enjoy a hassle-free breakfast that’s ready when you are.
- Simple ingredients – You only need 5 ingredients (plus water) for this recipe.
- Meal prep – Overnight oats are the perfect breakfast recipe to meal prep for the week. I love prepping a double or triple batch over the weekend so I have a few breakfasts ready to go.
Ingredients Needed
You only need 5 simple ingredients to make this recipe. I bet you already have most, if not all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Here’s what you need:
- old fashioned rolled oats – old-fashioned rolled oats are a must for overnight oats. They soak up the liquid, which gives you a lovely creamy texture. Instant, quick-cooking and steel cut oats don’t work because they don’t absorb the liquid in the same way that rolled oats do.
- water – used to blend the other ingredients into a smooth mixture that will soak into the oats.
- almond butter – we’re making our own almond “milk” by blending together the water and almond butter.
- pitted medjool dates – these add natural sweetness with a hint of caramel flavor to your oats.
- vanilla extract – can’t have vanilla overnight oats without the vanilla!
- salt – just a pinch to enhance all the flavors. Skip this if your almond butter is salted.
Recipe Notes + Substitutions
This recipe was created specifically to copycat the MUSH vanilla bean overnight oats, so I wouldn’t suggest substituting many ingredients otherwise the flavor and consistency will likely be different.
I did test this recipe with multiple variations on how to make the almond milk, so if you don’t have almond butter on hand you can blend up ¼ cup almond flour or 1 oz raw almonds with the water instead.
How to Make
This recipe is super simple, which is why I love making them for when I have busy mornings! Follow these steps for quick and delicious overnight oats.
Step 1: Add your dates, water, almond butter, vanilla, and salt to a high speed blender.
Step 2: Blend all the ingredients until a smooth consistency. It should take about 30 seconds.
Step 3: Divide the mixture between two jars, and stir to combine. Place in the fridge overnight.
Step 4: After a few hours (or overnight) your oats are ready to enjoy! Add your favorite toppings and dig in.
Recipe Tips
- Add protein: For a protein-packed version add 1 scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder to the mixture before letting it set in the fridge. If you do add protein powder, you’ll need 1/4 cup extra water, possibly more if you use a plant-based protein powder since it soaks up more liquid.
- Add more liquid if needed: In the morning if your oats are too thick, feel free to add more almond milk to thin the mixture out.
- In a rush? You should be able to get by with only letting the oats soak for 2 or so hours.
How to Store
Overnight oats are great for meal prep. Feel free to double, triple or quadruple this recipe for the week on Sunday so you have an easy and healthy breakfast ready to go throughout the week!
When stored in a sealed container (I personally like using wide mouth 16 oz Mason jars) in the refrigerator overnight oats should last for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5
Frequently Asked Questions
Given the name, you’d assume overnight oats need to soak overnight, but you can actually get by with only letting them soak 2 hours or so. While it does take some time for the oats to absorb the liquid, they don’t necessarily have to be soaked overnight.
I don’t recommend using steel cut oats unless you follow a specific recipe. See my steel cut overnight oats.
Short answer, yes! You can definitely warm up overnight oats, but the whole point of overnight oats is to eat them cold like muesli. Even if you think cold oats sound strange, I recommend giving it shot before you write them off. Of course, if you simply can’t do the cold oats you can always heat them up. Just pop the soaked oats in your microwave, cooking in 30 second increments until the oats are warm throughout.
More Overnight Oat Recipes to Try
Check out all of the overnight oats recipes as well as the full collection of oatmeal recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
